I thought you were dead!
~ John Fain, bad guy
How do you want your story to end? Consider Big Jake! The storyline is familiar, an unlikely hero emerges seemingly from out of nowhere to right a wrong and punish the villain. Jacob had a stake in the outcome of this fight but was disengaged and aloof. When he did engage, those engulfed in the battle questioned his sincerity and commitment. Jacob prevailed in such a fashion that even the villain was unsure who he was and had to ask, “Who are you anyway?”
Gaps Force Change
Are we almost there? It’s those four dreaded words emanating from the back seat of an SUV that can make even the most seasoned traveler cringe. We like to think that those we travel with have the same understanding of the complexities of our journeys and this distance we must travel. Seldom is that the case, maybe because we don’t fully understand it ourselves until the scenery has changed and the familiar is a distant memory.
It’s like living in a gap, a valley between the mountains. For those in the club, many of you have been where I recently found myself, suspended between conflicting ideas of what I can do and what I no longer can; of what is realistic and what is idealistic. It’s a place where simple hobbies and interest that used to bring enjoyment now add an unnecessary risk of harm to myself and to those around me.
Living On the Edge
It is in the gap where victory celebrations are forgotten, where words of encouragement are just that, mere words without passion now muffled by stiff fingers. It is a place where actions are hindered by another sleepless night. Many of you know all too well to which I speak. It is the realization that there is something fundamentally different about us as a result of our journey; a journey that keeps us at the edge of the abyss.
It is in this place of darkness that breeds a toxic mix of anger and bitterness that clouds our judgment. The same bitterness, when we give it unfettered access to our very essence, our soul, will influence our decision-making process, crowding out virtues such as hope and faith. It is these virtues that we desperately need to be victorious over the challenges we encounter each day.
The question stands. “Who are you, anyway?”
Accidental Victories
Every warrior knows that the battles we fight will be won before the day begins; each of us must begin with the heartfelt belief that, today, we can overcome the challenges we face, and we will stifle the attitudes that do us harm. Victories don’t come by accident. They are the result of many hard-fought battles that require nothing short of trench warfare, fighting tooth and nail at every turn to protect what we have and reclaim what we lost.
How do you want your story to end?
Living Our Story
The epitaph on his gravestone reads:
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes into us at midnight very clean.
It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.
~ John Wayne a.k.a Jacob McCandles
Are you ready? Are you prepared to leave the gap? It can start today.
–<O>–
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Ivy wants me to take her shopping. She is dreaming of new weaponry.
Al and his faithful, but overzealous sidekick, Ivy the wonder pup.
It’s a holster — for your scoop, Ivy. You didn’t think I was going to carry that thing, did you?